Happy New Year to all our IBSA Readers. We look forward to another year of growth throughout our branches and to continuing the successful discussion group meetings we have held around the world on various topics central to international business structuring.
For those of you who may not be fully aware of the scope of IBSA activities and the benefits they afford to corporate and individual members, the following illustrates why entrepreneurs themselves and their professional advisers have joined the IBSA in the last 3 years since its formation.
Opening up new markets
Members have met potential colleagues from countries outside of the location of discussion group meetings, as a result of which they have been asked to speak at or otherwise attend conferences and meetings in those countries, opening up new markets for their particular expertise.
Raising your profile in new markets
By attending such meetings in other countries and demonstrating the benefits of their own jurisdiction, they encourage new client enquiries.
Submitting articles reflecting member expertise
Some members who find it difficult to attend meetings outside of their locality, can always submit interesting articles which we will circulate to our entire database, not just the IBSA membership. This may help to reflect their expertise in relevant areas of business structuring.
Profiling member expertise in different areas
The experience of some members of the IBSA is also noteworthy, in that they can identify new areas of competence for their international offices.
Opening up members’ offices for IBSA meetings
Some of our corporate members have meeting rooms capable of holding up to 100 members at discussion group meetings, and we have been successful in filling these meetings by attendances of more than 50 delegates. Having professionals attending their offices who have not hitherto had any dealings with the firm has helped raise their profiles.
Awareness of different elements of business
structuring
I have personally enjoyed understanding more about intellectual property, real estate investment, private equity funding and many other elements which are essential for business structuring. Even those members who are more private client orientated (including divorce lawyers) have benefited from knowing IBSA members who can help them in other fields. As an example of this, our first UK discussion group meeting for 2018 is on 1
st
February on Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain, which is being held at the beautiful meeting rooms of Squire Patton Boggs in London.
Keeping abreast of new developments
The US Tax Reform is an example of receiving information in a collegiate and friendly format, where our US committee members shared the developing discussions leading up to the completion of the legislative process
and their summary article circulated to the IBSA database last week. The US branch will be holding informal meetings during the first part of the year leading up to a full-scale workshop on May 17
th in New York on how US entities will consider new issues, such as repatriation of foreign profits, restriction of interest deductions and holding structures for their international businesses.
We welcome new members who adhere to the principles of transparency and integrity in their international businesses, whatever their interest – tax, finance, intellectual property, real estate, corporate law and many other disciplines. I believe that the IBSA is the only truly global multi-disciplinary association that is specifically geared to the needs of entrepreneurs and their professional advisers.
Have a great year to one and all,
Roy
